They want the government to include in the plan support and counselling services for indigenous communities, as well as preventative measures to stop the violence.

Some leaders have also questioned the timing of the move, saying child abuse has been a serious problem for many years.

In an unprecedented step, Prime Minister John Howard announced plans to take control of about 60 Aboriginal communities in the NT.

As part of the wide-ranging efforts to stem the endemic abuse crisis, alcohol and pornography will be banned, police numbers will rise and there will be compulsory health checks for Aboriginal children.

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The government intervention follows the release last week of a damning report on the abuse of indigenous children in the Northern Territory.

Aboriginal activist Mick Dodson said the government's plan to finally take child sexual abuse seriously was "a good start", but it needed to address more issues then just sexual abuse.

"The sense of urgency has been with us for two decades," said Mr Dodson, a professor of law at the Australian National University.

"It's been a national emergency for two decades, with total inaction of governments at all levels."

But he said governments needed to address other problem areas, including housing and health.

"Where's the proposal to deal with all the other things that contribute to these things, particularly housing?" he said.

"The prohibition of alcohol - that doesn't work because we have to deal with not just banning alcohol but we've got to deal with the addiction ... we've got to give these people support, counselling."

"My concern with the federal government's proposal is that it doesn't put in place the preventative measures that indigenous people need to stop the violence, and then prevent it from re-occurring," he said.

"Nor does it provide the measures or services to support indigenous people once these changes are made."

Sue Gordon, chair of the National Indigenous Council (NIC), warned moves to ban alcohol in remote communities could force indigenous people into urban centres.

But she denied the federal government's response was "a knee-jerk reaction" and said people who described the reforms as draconian were not thinking about the victims of abuse.

NT Aboriginal leader, Central Land Council (CLC) director David Ross, attacked the federal move, saying it was hasty and ill-conceived.

"The proposals seem to be a grab-bag of unrelated strategies aimed at a quick fix in a pre-election period," he said.

Mr Ross also questioned the motives of the measures, saying he was worried the government was using the issue to push through land rights changes.

Miles Franklin award-winning Aboriginal author Alexis Wright said she was surprised by the sudden federal move because of government inaction over many years.

"It's been a national emergency for many decades and governments haven't responded adequately to us," she told ABC radio.

"Now we find this terrible situation where the government's riding roughshod yet again, tramping heavily, bringing down the sledgehammer approach without understanding that we need greater dialogue and a move towards a future where some of these issues can be worked on in the right way and in the right spirit."

Mr Howard said federal cabinet would soon consider a proposal to quarantining financial benefits to protect all Australian children - not just Aboriginal children.

"The minister's bringing a submission to look at extending that concept all around the country and we can do that."

Health Minister Tony Abbott said child abuse and violence would not be stamped out in indigenous communities without a strong police presence.

"The health services certainly have been improved, but what we need is not just better health services, what we need is law and order in these communities," he said.